New Madrid Fault Silent-No Missouri Quakes in a Week

No news is usually good news when it comes to earthquakes. However, something odd is happening along the New Madrid Fault as the usually very active seismic zone just had its first quake in a week and it wasn't even in Missouri.

I frequently share activity along the New Madrid Fault for several reasons. First, my family's home is in Missouri and I want to know what the earth beneath us is up to. Second, I find earth science interesting. Over the years, I typically see an average of around one earthquake per day along the southern Missouri border. Rarely are they even large enough to be felt which is the way I like it. But, I am a tiny bit concerned when there is suddenly silence which is what has happened over the past 7 days. Here's the USGS map showing all of the earthquakes in the New Madrid Seismic Zone over the past 7 days.

This very minor 1.9 magnitude quake that just happened today (Thursday, March 19) was located in northern Arkansas near Dell and not one single person felt it because it was so small.

Does the lack of earthquake activity in southern Missouri mean the New Madrid Fault is building up pressure?

The answer is complicated and is something only a seismologist from the USGS could fully explain, but the short answer is yes, but doesn't necessarily mean anyone in Missouri should be overly concerned. There's a deep dive about this question on the Ask Science sub-Reddit that provides more detailed thoughts on earthquake faults and pressure leading up to big events.

What causes a fault to build up pressure, when the fault is not 2 tectonic plates meeting?
by
u/tytheby14 in
askscience

Here's the bottom line. If you live anywhere in Missouri or Illinois and especially in the southern areas of either state, you must be earthquake aware all the time and have an emergency plan. You will not get a warning if a major New Madrid Fault quake happens. Please don't take this sudden silence over the past week to mean a major quake event in Missouri is imminent. It may not happen in our lifetime or it could happen today. Be ready if it does.